These Wild Animals Are Taking Over New York City

Walking down New York City's urban streets, the only animals we notice are the people. Sometimes we'll get a glimpse of a rat, mouse or pigeon.

But the urban world around you is also teeming with other wildlife, according to evolutionary biologist Jason Munshi-South, who discussed urban evolution and the wild beasts that live in New York City at this month's Secret Science Club.

In order to monitor what species are living in the area, motion sensor infrared cameras were set up in the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx over a three month period. These cameras captured coyotes, squirrels, raccoons, and more.

While some species are rarer, or even suffered local extinctions, some species are adapting and surviving under these urban pressures. Click through the slides to see the animals that are all around us.

You may notice rats are not mentioned in the slideshow and that's because they are abundant, vicious, and smell bad so Munshi-South avoids them like the plague. He's also done a ton of research into the mice of the city, and how they've adapted to city life genetically.